Fastening clip for panel

Abstract

A fastening clip for securing a wall panel or the like to a suitable supporting structure, such as a stud having flanges parallel to and supporting the panel, the fastening clip being constructed such that it will provide a strong support for holding the panel firmly against the support with a force greater than that which the clip in normal flexure would permit, yet be readily flexible with a much less force to permit the panel to be put in place. The clip is further constructed such that a panel, which cannot readily be moved laterally to any great degree to engage the clip with the support, may be engaged with the support by moving the edge of the panel directly toward the support, in a direction substantially normal to the facing surfaces of the panel and support.

I claim: 
     
       1. A fastening clip for securing a wall panel or the like having a side edge to a support member having a flange to receive and support such side edge of the panel in parallel relation to the faces of the flange and the panel, said clip comprising: a base portion having a front side, a back side, a first edge, and a second edge,   a leg portion extending from said first edge in a direction generally outwardly from said front side, said leg portion including retaining means to secure said clip to said side edge of the panel,   substantially rigid gripping finger support means substantially rigidly joined to said second edge of the base portion and providing a gripping finger support for a part of a gripping finger at a position overlying and spaced from said back side of the base portion intermediate its edge and relatively fixed with respect to said back side, and   a laterally flexible gripping finger having one end disposed adjacent the back side of said base portion and extending therefrom substantially normal to said back side and rigidly secured to said gripping finger support, whereby said support member flange may be gripped between said back side of said base member and the end of said gripping finger which is closer to said base member, the gripping force being transmitted by said finger acting as a strut, longitudinally of itself, so as to be not limited to the force necessary to flex said finger laterally,   said gripping finger support means having an extension substantially rigidly joined thereto adjacent said gripping finger support and extending at an acute angle to the plane of said base portion, in a direction away from said base portion and at least to a position overlying said second edge of the base portion, whereby a panel edge having such clip thereon may be moved directly toward such support without lateral movement relative thereto and said inclined extension will engage and deflect said gripping finger support means past the support flange and permit the gripping finger to snap into place behind said flange.   
     
     
       2. The clip of claim 1 in which the material of said base portion, the material of said gripping finger support means, and the extension of said gripping finger support means, have a form reinforcing the relative rigidity of their joinder to one another. 
     
     
       3. The clip of claim 1 in which said gripping finger is laterally resiliently flexible toward and away from said second edge of the base portion to relieve the gripping force exerted by it against said flange and facilitate sliding of said clip onto and off said flange. 
     
     
       4. The clip of claim 3 in which the extremity of said finger closer to the base portion is smoothed to permit it to move with reduced friction laterally along the rear surface of said flange to a position where it will sustain the greatest gripping force on said flange and best hold said flange against said support. 
     
     
       5. The clip of claim 4 in which the smoothed extremity of said finger is a rounded exterior end portion. 
     
     
       6. The clip of claim 4 in which the smoothed extremity of said finger is a rolled portion of the end of the finger.